It also significantly reduced suicidal ideation.
Treatments likeketamine therapyare still very new and need more research before becoming more widely accepted or available.
Molly Jenks is one of them.
Justin Paget / Getty Images
When Nothing Else Worked
While going through a divorce, Molly Jenks began feeling depressed and overwhelmed.
Up to thatpoint, she felt like she could muster through difficult events in her life.
As she processed the loss of her marriage andco-dependencyissues, she found it difficult to function.
I couldnt get out of bed.
I had alot of anxiety and even started having suicidal thoughts, Jenks says.
Her primary doctor suggested that Jenks seeMike Dow, PsyD, PhD, for psychotherapy.
For about four months, Dow led her through hypnotherapy andEMDR(Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing).
Her story is becoming more and more common.
This means that ketamine is FDA approved for another indicationanesthesia.
Once a drug is approved, physicians can prescribe it for alternative indications, explainsDr.
That is referred to as off-label prescribing and is not uncommon.
Ketamine has two differences from other drugs on the market for depression.
It can work quickly, sometimes within hours.
Also, it is often effective in patients that have not responded to any other treatment, adds Gould.
Learning about some of the science eased her concerns.
Ketamine appears to work by rapidly repairing and strengthening those connections, says Gould.
However, he noted that ketamine does increase dopamine levels, which can give a feeling ofwanting to escape.
When used in a clinical setting, he says this isnt a concern.
The first three sessions were within a week of each other.
After the first sessions, she says she felt immediate relief.
I was able to get out of bed and function, she says.
The last three sessions were spaced out a few weeks apart with her last treatment in December 2021.
Then 25 mg of ketamine was inserted into her arm with a small needle.
Sometimes you have the softening of the ego and spiritual experiences and sometimes people are verbal.
She hadnt thought about that memory until then.
Processing Trauma and “Aha!”
So if you really just want that lift, it doesnt last forever.
With that being said, there are some spiritual aha moments and those can last forever, he says.
The severity of depression will determine whether a person needs long-term treatment or not.
If its hard to get out of bed, that person will need to come back every four months.
And we do have people who dont come backthey got what they needed, he says.
While psychotherapy isnt harmful, Gould points out that its common for ketamine to be administered independent of psychotherapy.
Dow works with many women seeking help from his clinic who have tried other methods for mentalhealth.
Additionally, he said LSD may make its way into approved treatment for mental health.
There is good research on using micro-dose LSD for reduction of symptoms in dementia.
I think well see novel uses in the future, says Dow.
Who Shouldnt Use Psychedelics?
Understanding how psychedelics work in a controlled setting can bring about another potential option for treatment.
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Berman RM, Cappiello A, Anand A, et al.Antidepressant effects of ketamine in depressed patients.Biological Psychiatry.
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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Depression among women.
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